Our Congregation

"St. Mary's Parish invites all people to experience the new life promised in the gospels. We celebrate faith in Jesus Christ through worship, support of one another, and service to others."

That's our mission statement. We try to live it in a variety of ways.

Worship is at the very heart of who we are as individuals and together as the Body of Christ here on this corner. You are invited to join us on Sunday morning for the celebration of the Eucharist, also known as Holy Communion or mass. We have Scripture readings, a sermon that helps us connect those readings to our lives, and then we are nourished at the Lord's table. In the Episcopal Church, we believe that Christ sets the banquet of his Body and Blood in the Eucharist, and so all baptized people are welcome to receive communion.

Our parish takes faith seriously, and so we try to learn and grow in our understanding of who God is and who we are. This means that a variety of educational and formation programs are available for people of all ages.

St. Mary's seeks to be a good neighbor. Large annual events such as Strawberry Fest and Fall Fest not only welcome hundreds of people to our parish grounds, they are also a way for us to raise funds for worthy projects. Strawberry Fest profits support an important ministry in Haiti and Fall Fest profits are given to our local Fire Department to aid with equipment or other needs in their important work. We have a strong relationship with Lad Lake, a nearby treatment facility for young people. We give away (yes, give away!) 100% of our Christmas and Easter collections to agencies and organizations that do the work of the gospel in society.

We work hard to make opportunities for fellowship, connections and relationships between our members of all ages. Whether it's a shared meal, a youth group gathering, a class for newcomers, Scripture study, campfire, or a hike in the Kettle Moraine area, we seek to be in community with one another as our schedules and lives allow.

We care lovingly for our historic chapel, newer church building, and our grounds. We employ a great local cleaning service, but most deep cleaning, maintenance and grounds work is lovingly performed by our own members. We seek to keep our "house" clean, friendly and inviting. We always expect visitors and we want to be ready when they arrive!

We are an Episcopal parish. This means we pray together in a common way, from The Book of Common Prayer. It means we're part of a world-wide Anglican Communion. It means we are part of a diocese with a bishop, that our minister is a priest, and that we are served by Deacons and professional lay people. It means that we are part of a way of being church that is rooted in historical Christianity and yet is in active and open dialogue with the world around us. You'll find both conformity and a great deal of indiviudality here - and both are celebrated.

St. Mary's Church invites and welcomes all people to experience the new life promised in the Gospels.We celebrate faith in Jesus Christ through worship, support of one another, and service to others.- Adopted by Vestry 8/18/04